Grant-funded GPS trackers save Welsh cows from cliff falls
Cow wearing GPS-enabled collar at Great Pitton Farm © Tom Higgs A Gower beef farmer has turned to virtual fencing technology to improve livestock safety and manage sensitive coastal land.
Tom Higgs, who farms 202ha at Great Pitton Farm near Mewslade Bay in South Wales, installed 40 GPS-enabled collars on his cattle with support from the Ffermio Bro scheme.
The scheme is a Welsh government programme that funds farming projects in National Parks and National Landscapes.
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The farm had traditionally grazed sheep along the coastline under a licence from Natural Resources Wales.
However, concerns about overgrazing in a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) led to a shift in management.
“The land was originally grazed by sheep, but with overgrazing concerns in the SSSI, the decision was made to keep 20 Blue-grey suckler cows on the land instead,” said Mr Higgs.
Risk management
While the change aimed to improve habitat conditions, it introduced new risks.
“We knew there were going to be some challenges and there are dangers of cattle and cliff edges,” he said.
To reduce the risk of falls, Mr Higgs secured funding for virtual fencing collars, costing £230 each.
The collars use GPS technology to create invisible boundaries, allowing cattle to graze designated areas while avoiding hazardous cliff edges.
Some of these areas are hard to access and require careful grazing management.
To further assist in managing the area, additional funding from Ffermio Bro paid for two water troughs to control where the cattle graze.
Mark Blackmore, a Ffermio Bro adviser for the Gower landscape, said the collars offer both environmental and safety benefits.
“The GPS collars enable us to graze and manage specific areas of the cliff and to exclude cattle from known adder habitat,” he said.
Mr Higgs added that the cattle have adapted well to the system.
“It means we can graze them away from the really steep areas and focus them on the rough ground that needs grazing – it’s absolutely fantastic,” he said.